Quarterback Derek Carr
After the Oakland Raiders wrapped up their fourth Organized Team Activity [OTA], quarterback Derek Carr addressed the media.
Here are the highlights from his time at the podium Tuesday afternoon.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr congratulated the Golden State Warriors on advancing to the 2016 NBA Finals.
"I looked at the ticket prices and said, 'No, thank you.' My wife would have been upset at me. So happy for Steph, Klay [Thompson], Draymond [Green], those guys. That's awesome because it means a lot to the city of Oakland and that means a lot to me. So, I wanted to start off with that because what they're doing is special. It's pretty cool."
He also shared his thoughts on the skirmishes that occurred during Tuesday's practice.
"Obviously, that's not what we're about. That's not what we want to be about. You never want to see those kind of things happen because it can cause injuries and things like that. You never want to see guys fighting, but at the same time, everyone is competitive, everyone has gotten to that point. Everyone in that weight room right now has gotten to that point where he wanted to punch a fellow teammate in the face on the football field. It happens. That's everywhere. You just have to stay away from that kind of stuff when we're on the practice field. We have to take care of each other, and we know that. Guys are just getting competitive. There are a lot of guys competing to make teams. There are a lot of guys trying to compete to secure a spot and things like that. We understand, but at the same time, we have to have the culture around here to show like what we did last year."
In 2016, Carr and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave are continuing to build a rapport.
"Last year, I just wanted to learn what he wanted done, how he wanted it done. 'Oly' [former offensive coordinator Greg Olson] wanted it done a certain way. A 'what was he thinking' situation. There are people that on certain situations want you to do this. Well, what do you want me to do? Learning that, and that's something that takes a lot of time. That went all the way through the year. I had to learn how he wanted things done. That's all I'm trying to do. I just want to run his offense the exact way he wants it so he can go home and sleep good. I want to do it the way he wants it done. Now, it's like he sees that I am trying to do that and we're working together and stuff like that."
OTAs provide Carr a great opportunity to work on timing with his receivers.
"The more years that we're together, you are going to get tired of hearing me say it, but it really is a big deal because it's never going to be perfect. I missed 'Crab' [Michael Crabtree] on an out-breaker today that we've been hitting so many times but I missed it today for some reason. My foot wasn't right or my feet weren't right. So, I have to go back and see that and constantly drilling it to when the game comes, that mistake doesn't happen. That's a route me and 'Crab' hit on in big situations last year to win football games. It never ends. It's always going to be there."
Wide receiver Amari Cooper is more comfortable heading into his second NFL season.
"I always joked around last year that three years ago, he was in seventh period chemistry. He's a young guy and he was just learning his way around but going to the Pro Bowl learning his way around. He's very special but now he's more open. He's more talkative. But everyone is like that their rookie year, no matter who it is. Obviously, there are outspoken guys and things like that but there is so much going on mentally in this game that a lot of guys are more reserved and quiet, not to us, but in general. Now, you see he and 'Crab' joking more because he is more comfortable. He knows his responsibility on every play and those kind of things. He definitely is a lot more open personality-wise."
